Friday, May 25, 2012

In Honor of The Fallen!

As I reflect on Memorial Day, it have memories of getting a red poppy and wearing it on Memorial Day ever year. I don't know how my parents got these red poppies but I remember wearing them proudly.

Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, originated to honor fallen Civil War soldiers. In the 20th century, it was extended to honor all fallen Americans of wars. Right along side of these fallen soldiers were their faithful fallen horses. There were over 1 million horses that died during the Civil war and probably a million more in World War 1 beside many American soldiers fighting abroad.

Pack horses carrying ammunition in Flanders, from 'The Horse and the War' by Captain Lionel Edwards, published by Country Life in 1918.

In 1915, inspired by the poem, "In Flanders Fields',

Moina Michael replied to her own poem.

We cherish too, the Poppy redThat grows on fields where valor led,It seems to signal to the skiesThat blood of heroes never dies.I appreciate living in America, my free country and I appreciate all those who have given their lives, They should be honored this Memorial Day. I want to honor all the horses and mules who fought and died during these wars. This Memorial day, I am going to Chickamauga Battlefield. http://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/chickamauga-chattanooga-national-military-parkThough I don't know the number of horses and mules that were killed or injured at the Chickamauga Battlefield, the number is too many. I am going to bring some red poppy seeds and some red poppies and scatter them around the battlefield's 5,500 acres. This is in memory of all who served. It is my small way of honoring them.

When I get back home, I will honor the horses in another way. I am going to start working on stopping horse slaughter from starting again in this United States and banning horse slaughter for human consumption. Please join me at the Battlefield or if you have some memorial Day plans of you own, join me next week by helping stop horse slaughter. It is another Battlefield for horse lovers. We need to win this war and fight each battle diligently so all horses can again be free in America.

Have a great holiday. Get your head clear because the battle against horse slaughter is starting next week, please enlist!